Sister Gillette and I.

American Idol

Wow, I am starving and I can barely concentrate to write this letter.  Anyway,  I got to cover the Beehive house this morning so that was fun:)  Always fun to make up facts about Brigham Young - just kidding (kinda). NO, I really didn't make anything up this time!

Wow, sounds like our house  is having a party! The house is always full! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELLE! Love you and Sam!   I got one letter in the mail from mom this week....hrmmph.  Kate I got your snail mail! love you!  I loved Annie's blog!

This transfer has flown by! My predictions for next transfer is that I stay with Sister Galuvao and she becomes a District leader. I don't feel any big responsibilities coming on this transfer.

We are now teaching this awesome man from England named Hugh! He is so great and has such a desire to learn! It's always good when an investigator says, "I am so glad to be able to talk to you today an learn more about the gospel" He is great! Larry and Emanuel are also new progressing investigators this week and they are good boys.  I don't know why always teach boys...??? 

So we ate all our meals down on the square this transfer. There is a study room right off from the kitchen..and well I am sitting in there reading my BOM right...well Sister Galuvao sits in an extra wheel chair  and starts racing around the room, and the next thing I know she found a scarf in the corner and is beginning to sing to me.....I am her audience I guess.  Well the other Sisters start coming in and they sit down and the next thing I know(I couldn't help myself) I've put on ALL the clothes in the lost and found and began pretending we were sisters and that we were going to audition for American Idol together.  Naturally  the Sisters that decided to take their break in the study room became our judges. So we performed a mini play for them..haha and they judged us Like Simon Cowell...awww..the good improv moments on the mission:)

So today we are going to Liberty park as a zone. YEAH! gonna play in the sun! A dream come true!

URGENT URGENT URGENT NEWS -  I NEED TO VOTE!   BUT I THINK THE LAST DAY IS ON THE 5th but I am not sure! But this is monumental and I want to be a good citizen! MOM PLEASE DO WHAT EVER IT TAKES FOR ME TO VOTE! (aka forge my signature or send in the mail pronto, but please help me in this endeavor!

Wow sounds like all my guy friends are back from their missions ! Yeah success! Good for them!

IT WAS SOOO FUN TO SEE PRES AND SISTER PARKER!!! Made my day!

Love you all.  Hurrah for Israel!

Sister Reynders

                           Mother's Day at "Music and the Spoken Word".

                           My room mates the Zone leaders on my right.

                                                          Sergio's baptism

Sacrifice

Dear family and friends,

It has been another great week and I can't complain! We had two baptisms this week - a mother and a daughter! The Lord really does love us all:)

Things are going well! My theme lately has been "sacrifice". I love this quote from David O. McKay, "The greatest battles you will ever fight will be within the silent chambers of your heart."  We may not offer sacrifices as the they did in Old Testament times but we are asked to have a broken heart and contrite spirit. We sacrifice our will for the will of the Lord! I have been studying all about a "broken heart and contrite spirit" ...It helps me understand humility as well:)

I feel continually blessed by the people I am able to come in contact with on the Square whether they are members or nonmembers. I feel blessed that I get to meet them and feel of their spirit. My goal in every contact is to come out of it with us both coming closer to Christ.

For example, yesterday I met Dale Kirby, an older man who's been a faithful member his whole life.  He taught me to always write in your journal and that I am important and was given the assignment  to serve here in the life before. He taught me that God doesn't change but circumstances do. I feel so blessed to meet stalwart member of the church, and they invoke the desire in me to always continue in faith.

  

Oh this week I saw Jenny and Chris and their kids, and Pres. and sister Parker, and Elder Bednar (Which by the way, looks way different when he's not wearing his black suit).

Oh so another little miracle in my life is Hugh. We met him on ldschat.  He's from England and has met with the missionaries in the past but recently has had a change of heart.  He wants to meet with them  again. We taught him over the phone and he is so willing to exercise his faith! I am impressed by him.

We are going to a Polynesian restaurant for p-day today with a lot of other Sisters from our zone. They feed us for free:) but.....I don't know if I am going to eat anything because I am scared..hahaa   Hey, maybe I should go to BYU -H after the mission?

  

This morning we had another mission meeting, this time we had to meet in the Church history Museum in the theater downstairs. We were taught how to use the art in our lessons...

I am so glad Kate and bugs are making a CD!!! I Will love it! You know what would be cool ,is taking a recording that I've already done and then put it into garage band and have Scott add a harmony so then we are singing together! Oh, and BTW, I can listen to other stuff besides church music, so you don't have to only record church songs...Broadway or just fun will be fine.

I could probably have get my guitar if I wanted..but I think it would distract me.

This last week we had a whole gang of "Job Corp." kids come to the Square.  They are kids that are trying to get a trade skill so they can make a living.  Anyways, they are real rough around the edges and only Sis. Galuvoa and I could have connected with them, because we could put on our "California" and we be "real" with them..haha   Eventually we got them all singing "Come thou Fount with one of the kid's guitars. It was funny because I could see security freaking out all around me..haha they were EVERWHERE!!  We were watched like hawks in that contact. We had a prayer all together right there on the Square and 3 of them gave referrals.  psh....security needs to calm down - we got this! haha

O.K. Bye.

Hurrah Israel

Sister Reynders

    Hard at work in the Referral Center.

Queen Esther

Dear Friends and Family,

It was good to talk with the family last week! But there was not enough time to get much of a conversation going.  I feel guilty because we just talked about me the whole time....:(  Robert, I was expecting an email from you telling me what time you were coming to Temple Square so we could arrange something....maybe lunch? Now I am afraid you'll visit and we didn't arrange a time to meet, sorry!

Things are good here on the Square! It is officially summer time! It's hot and my feetsies get all sweaty.  I am already getting weird missionary tan lines.

I had a little tender mercy from the Lord the  other day. A huge group of senior missionaries came from the MTC and the APs asked Sister Galuvao and I if we would take them around the Square. When they first walked through the VC doors  I wanted to shout for joy as I saw a little Nauvoo temple on their tag! They were all on their way to NAUVOO!!!!! YEAH!!!! I was so happy that we were the Sisters that got to take them around and show them what they can do at the Nauvoo Visitor's Center to help with the work.

We had Mellissa's baptism this last week from an Elder's Tour.  Four of the investigators that I have been working with all have baptismal dates but all of them are struggling with smoking.  It is so frustrating sometimes.

So each week we get an hour to do a little service....INDEXING in the family history center! I LOVE it !!!!!!! SOOOO much fun - everyone should do it.  I am converted! I will be doing it for the rest of my life! Plus there is so much scope for the imagination as I read the names of the families and imagine what their household looked like and their family relations:) Who knew a 1940's census could be so exhilarating!

  

I read Queen Esther today....it was my p-day study:) I love that story! Man scriptures are awesome! Esther gives me strength. On the way upstairs from the computers in the VC there is this picture of Esther and every time Sister Galuvoa and I pass it we reach our arms up and exclaim, "Ester give us strength" and then we go out to the square..hahaha  Another fun/weird picture thing I do is there is this picture of the saints getting off the "Maid of Iowa" greeting the prophet Joseph, and every time I pass it I sing and dance "IT'S THE MAID OF IOWA, THE MISSISSIPPI  STEAMBOAT!" from our show in Nauvoo.

  

Mom, could you forward me Cami Christiansens letters - I think they are on her blog...which you can get through face book. Thanks.

Hurray for Israel!

Sister Reynders

Visitors come from around the world and we are ready for them!

Marbles

Dear family,

I am kind of nervous to call the family this week but it will be good! I just feel like it is a little bit weird and out of place to be have a conversation. I feel like I am in a habit of every contact I make thinking, "how can I help this person come closer to Christ"...so this family conversation seems a little off in my purpose as a missionary..haha...but it will be good! I want to be able to converse normally with you ...so let’s just say that you will come closer to Christ as well hopefully :)  I am excited for Emily to be married this weekend! Wow, how scary!

We had another baptism this week from the Salt Lake City Mission, that we worked with, so that we great! Temple Square and the Salt Lake city mission have been working together a lot lately and we are seeing a lot of success, but the problem is that it is getting a little overwhelming working with all their investigators with them, plus all our other investigators from around the world.  I think they will have to change something soon because it feels like too much!  It’s like holding a bunch of marbles, and I am trying to hold all of them but some fall out of my hands as I go to grab another.   But all I can do to bring me peace on the matter is do my best and show the Lord I am trying to bring as many souls unto Christ as I can. He will pick up the ones I drop.

Bill has a baptism date but his kidney is failing and it is breaking my heart. :(  This last week I went to another wards sacrament meeting because I was at a baptism during mine and we randomly went to M. Russell Ballard & Dallin H. Oaks ward! Elder Oaks wasn't there but Ballard was - that was a little pleasant surprise.

So we are trying new things as far as our "announcing" responsibilities go. We wrote a new script for “Music and the spoken word,” to introduce us after it is over. We are just waiting to meet with the head honcho over there to get it cleared.  We are also experimenting with having other Sisters hold signs besides just the ones announcing so we can get more "walking lessons" (aka tours) with just the main languages like English, Mandarin, and Spanish.  Last week it was a success.  With summer coming there are a lot more "friends"(aka guests) on the Square.

Well they just told me that they have a genealogy class coming in here so I have to go! Sorry!

Talk to you on Sunday.  Love you all!

Sister Reynders

Reynders,

It was fun to run into Sister Reynders at temple square. She seemed very happy and said that she was very comfortable and was finally feeling like a real missionary. She mentioned she had been able to teach people over the phone even after they met on temple square. 

There ware lots of non-members at the visitors center that particular day and from the few conversations I overheard in passing it seemed like the temple square sisters have a very unique teaching opportunity. 

In this last picture of the south visitors center you can see Janet and her companion to the left of the fountain. I hope the pictures look OK. I took them with my phone. We're so proud of Janet. 

Bishop Pauline

        South Visitor Center - if you look close Janet is just left of the fountain.

     Janet visiting with a guest.

                              My new companion Sister Galuvao
                          (Silly Sister Rydelek in the background)

Mercy's Arms

Wow, so I wrote Scott a letter and now I have no time for you....(everyone)..Sorry!

Alright! Well I love Sister Galuvao - she is so great! She is from Anaheim California. We fasted and prayed this last week for our investigators that could potentially be baptized and guess what?  Nick is getting baptized June 16th  and Mellisa is getting baptized on May 12th, and on Saturday  Siege, who came on an Elder's  tour is getting baptized !  We have been working hard.  Meal breaks no longer exist ...we just feel we would rather be teaching or contacting than eating, so we don't take those meal breaks!

Our first week of announcing at "Music and the Spoken Word" went well!  We have a pump up meeting with all the Sisters that are announcing that week and we practice with them that morning before MATSW! We are also are in charge of praying and deciding what languages we need that week and which Sisters will announce.  We are in the process of rewriting the script that they say at the end of MATSW and we will plan a meeting with the MATSW people this next week.  Hopefully more people will want to take tours! We also just had new signs made that are a little bit larger and lighter. Pres. Seppi is making a cabinet for them so they stay nice.

Mom, you had some questions about our Sacrament meetings. We have Sacrament meeting in the Joseph Smith Memorial building and its really nice. We have missionaries that serve in there that switch off to passing the sacrament. We just have sacrament meeting and then we go to our duties. During Sacrament meeting we have a musical number and 3 of the Sisters speak. Usually Sisters that are leaving that transfer.

This last week I sang the musical number. Nobody here knows that I sing. Anyway it went well but it was one of those time where I kind of cried through the last verse. It is the words in the last verse of "Mercy's Arms"  that get me every time! Plus I just felt an overwhelming love for the Sisters in the congregation. I was filled with love and I think how crazy it was that just a little while ago I felt so alone in that congregation, and that I would never fit in, and that I would never get to know them.  But I do know them, and I love them, and I am grateful to be serving with them.

  

Happy Birthday this next week mother and Annie! I'll be calling on the 13th! I'll give you details later!

I get NO letters from people anymore..it's so sad. Anyone out there want to write me? eh?

Love,

Sister Reynders